Hi y'all! Out with another chapter. Thx for the continued support, I'm glad to know that there are people who really like this story.

Leave a comment to let me know what y'all thinking! And I hope I will be back with another chapter soon. :D


"So let me get this straight." Frost placed his beer down on the counter that he was leaning against and wasted no time pinning Joker with a plain stare. "You two slept together a couple months ago and ended up with tattoos. You didn't bother to get the tattoos removed. Flag and June warned you off each other so you didn't see each other for a week until she came to see you. And then you got buzzed and slept together again. And then decided to stay friends. But not just acquaintances, but close friends?"

Joker nodded along as he spoke. It was Friday night and instead of being with Harley like he normally was, he was instead drinking beer in his shop after spilling his guts to Frost. He felt like a middle aged woman talking to her bestie about new knitting needles and her new cat. He didn't want to tell him, but the man had finally cornered him and was glaring at him for most of the day. So after Joker turned on him with a glare and growl of his own, they had popped open the contraband beer in the workers' lounge fridge and sat around for the rather long story of how Harley had official burst into his life like a cannon ball.

"Well, the original plan was to keep her as an acquaintance, but clearly that hasn't worked out," Joker drawled and took another sip of his beer. Keeping her an acquaintance. He mentally scoffed. That had been blown to shits since the first day he had seen her prancing around the club with her short skirt and creamy long legs.

"No shit?" Frost said dryly. Considering Frost was usually as humorous as a funeral, it was rare for him to joke and actually made Joker crack a smirk at his sarcasm.

"Shit."

"So if you guys are such good friends now, why haven't you told Flag? It's not like you're banging her." Frost knew all about how Joker's escapades had ruined many of Flag's relationships. He had been there front and center to witness it all with a bag of popcorn practically in his hands. Now that Joker wasn't having any physical relationship with Harley, it shouldn't be a problem.

Instead of answering, Joker tapped his finger against the cold beer and sunk into the old couch that they had placed in the room. He didn't think he looked incriminating, but to Frost who knew him since childhood, the look of desire that washed across his face was like a glaring neon sign.

"Because you still want to make love to her," Frost said with a clear voice.

"Fuck. I want to fuck her." Joker put in quickly. He almost cringed at the way Frost said 'make love to.' No one but Frost and sappy romance novels said shit like that.

"Same difference, boss. So what? Are you just sticking close to her in hopes of luring her into sleeping with you again?" There was no judgement in Frost's voice. He was used to both Flag and Joker's crude sense of a one-night relationship.

Running a hand through his hair, Joker growled. "Fuck if I know."

It wasn't like Harley wasn't willing to sleep with him. At first, he had thought that she didn't see him as more than a brother, but the more that he looked into her movements the more her saw her desire. There was a flame in her eyes every time she oogled his abs when he took of his shirt. She would reel it in before she thought he saw, but he knew she wanted him.

The physical attraction wasn't the problem. It was the emotional one. He didn't want a relationship and Harley needed someone better than him.

"When she prances around here with a short ass skirt, it makes me..." Instead of completing the sentence, Joker just made a guttural sound that conveyed just how much her long legs affected him. "But chilling with her is hella fun too. Know last week, she was able to kick my ass in a first person shooting game? It shouldn't be possible for a girl who dresses that nice to play such a crazy game. Especially against me. I did that shit for a living."

Frost just looked at him for a couple of seconds. It wasn't like him to talk about girls with anyone...at least not in a nonsexual way. Joker was known to be quite crass when it came to describing the fairer of the two sexes.

"First, I don't even know how you're able to play those trauma-triggering games after all the therapy you went through. And second, you really hang out a lot don't you?"

His only answer was a shrug.

"Damn. All those Friday nights I thought you were heading out to do your moves on some woman, you were actually with her weren't you?" Frost couldn't help but smile at the grim look on Joker's face.

"Shut up, man."

"So why exactly are you doing here on a Friday?"

Joker flexed his hand before letting it settle into a fist. "She said it was girls' night tonight."

"Then why does it look like you're trying to booze the night away?" Frost was always too observant. From the way that Joker seemed to be cherishing his beer and the way he was chugging it down like he wished it was a shot tipped the man off to Joker's less than happy mood.

"She saw the number," Joker replied simply.

"From yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

Turning a glare at his friend, Joker looked at him wondering if he had to spell it out to him. When he was met by a dead stare, he simply rolled his eyes and explained the situation.

"She froze. She tried to pass it off like there was nothing wrong, but I could tell it bothered her. Probably thought that I was hooking up with the woman." He remembered the distraught look on Harley's face last night and it made his chest ache for reasons he didn't know. He should be out there partying the night away trying to find an easy lay, not here boozing himself.

"Weren't you going to call Amanetta? That was the whole point of getting her number."

"No way. The girl's clingy as hell. Just wanted to get Flag off my back, it was like he was digging the whole time we were at the gym. I forgot it was on my hand until she saw it."

"And you never bothered to correct Harley's assumption?"

Joker stared straight ahead as if having a staring contest with the purple walls. "No."

"Only heaven knows why," Frost replied evenly.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Joker asked tersely.

"You're purposefully messing up your relationship with her just so she doesn't fall for your messed up self." The very simple, to-the-point way that Frost said it resounded with Joker.

He saw the way Harley had reacted to the numbers. Even though his first urge was to tell her that it was all a misunderstanding and that he just did it to stop Flag from sniffing around, he didn't. The look of heartbreak as she looked at his hand last night was earth shattering. It wasn't until that minute that he realized she was starting to get attached to him, and not in a best friend kind of way. And while it could have worked to his advantage since it would make sleeping with her very easy, it was also something that shouldn't happened.

A quick fuck? Sure. A week long fling? Still a possibility. But the way that she looked at him showed that she was falling for him, and he didn't know how he felt about that. He could barely admit that he enjoyed her company, there was no way that he was even going to get close to admitting to liking her.

He would never like her in the same way that she liked him. There was no way. He couldn't. Not when she was worth so much more than him. Not when he thought of himself completely incapable of loving another person.

And that's why he let her think he was sleeping around. The more that she thought he was a player, the less attracted she would be to him. It would solidify the idea in her head that whatever odd, celibate, blue-balling friendship they had going on was nothing more than that. There would be no relationship. No happy ever after with him.

This was his last ditch attempt at trying to distance himself from her. If this didn't work, he didn't know what sort of messed up thing his dick was going to make him do. He was already contemplating kidnapping her and tying her to his bed permanently. So instead of doing that, he let her go. Let her lie to him in such an obvious way. Let her be hurt. He thought it would be better that it happened now instead of later on if she ever fell ridiculously in love with him.

He only wished that the image of her walking away from him didn't make his chest pang so much. Why did it even hurt? It shouldn't have since he only saw her as a friend...with a very attractive body. It shouldn't bug him.

She didn't look back at him as she closed the door behind her. The image made him growl.

"You've got to stop this, boss." Frost's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Instead of replying, he fixed a glare at his brother. Frost was looking at him with a blank stare, just like he always did. While Flag was emotional, Frost was more analytical. And Joker was just the clown of the group.

"You're going to ruin this thing you have going with her."

"There is nothing going with her. Harley is...Harley." He tried to come up with a comparison, but he really couldn't. There was nothing to compare her too, she was just that special. "But I know if I fuck her, I'm bound to get tired of her and then fuck up this whole thing that Flag and June have and probably screw up Harley's head as well."

Frost put up an eyebrow. "You've always care about not messing with Flag's relationship's, but you've never cared enough about what the woman might feel. Besides, you've had sex with her twice and still you want more. Doesn't that say something?"

Joker tsked and got up from the couch. He walked over to the recycling bin and tossed the bottle inside it, not caring that it hit the other glass bottles and shattered with a loud crack. Whipping the fridge door open, he grabbed another beer before replying.

"It says that some times it takes more than twice. I just like hanging out with her like one of the guys. What the hell's wrong with that?"

"Because unlike her, you don't want to fuck us." Frost's lips pulled into a rare smirk.

Just the images of Flag and Frost naked had his member shriveling up and possibly trying to crawl back into his body. He had no problem with homosexuality, but it just wasn't for him.

A large smirk pulled on Joker's face and sarcasm dripped from his voice. "So what exactly are you trying to get at? That I confess my undying love for her and we walk into the sunset hand in hand?"

Taking the final sip of his beer, Frost placed his bottle carefully into the bin before leaning back against the counter, eyeing down Joker. "I don't know, J. But I'm just saying that this shit is going to implode in your face. Flag's going to find out, if he hasn't already. And that bubbly chick is going to find herself a man at some point."

Involuntarily, a loud growl was pulled out of Joker's chest before he could stop it. Just the image of Harley being pawed over by several men made him want to take out the pistol that he kept in his safe and go on a shooting spree.

Frost didn't comment on his reaction and just continued to stand there like some therapist. Why did he think telling him about this whole Harley situation would be a good idea? They had never had such a lengthy conversation about a woman before. In the past, there was never any need when the women were there one night and gone the next.

The biggest problem with the whole situation was that he didn't even know what he wanted from Harley. He was so torn between wanting her and keeping her a safe distance from him that he was left with no conclusion.

There was a heaviness to the room as both men just sat there in silence, Joker thinking and Frost just staring.

It wasn't until Harley's high pitched ring tone cut through the tension. Pulling the phone from his pocket, Joker held it in his grasp for a moment. They hadn't messaged the whole day, and it felt wrong not to get a 'good morning' text from her. And now, here she was calling him.

With a silent curse, he slid his finger across the touch pad to answer. "Harls?" he spoke into the phone.

"Joker?"

His eyebrows knotted. That wasn't Harley's voice. Immediately he went on high alert thinking that something was wrong. Was she hurt? Did someone steal her phone? No that wouldn't make sense, why would they call him? Before his mind could give him more bright questions, he spoke into the phone. "Who is this? How did you get this phone?"

"And from your gruff demanding voice I am guessing that this is Joker." The woman on the other end did not seem to care that he was being rude. "This is Tatsu. We met once when you came to pick up Harley a while back."

Oh, yes. Harley's friend. He had seen her a couple times since that day whenever he came to see Harley at the university, but it was always in passing and usually just a wave. "Yes, I remember." His voice was more even, but he was still on alert. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

From the background noise, an echo of a laugh could be heard and so could the loud thumping music. "Oh my goodness, Harley what are you doing?!" Tatsu's voice was slightly muffled as if she was holding the phone away from her ear in order to look at what ever thing Harley was apparently doing.

They were at a club, Joker surmised. He already knew that so it didn't make sense why Tatsu would be calling him. Unless something had happened to Harley. "What is she doing?" His voice was demanding and deep.

Joker looked up from his position to see Frost looking at him in interest and with a questioning gaze.

"Sorry. She's really out of control right now." Her voice was clear. "Look I need a favour. Harley dragged June and I out here tonight. She said she needed some relaxing time since everything was stressing her out. I'm sure you know. She probably told you about it already."

Harley most definitely did not talk to him about being stressed, but he knew exactly why she was. It wasn't her excessive work schedule or studying, it was because of last night.

"Anyways," the Asian woman continued, "Now she is drunk and prancing around the dance floor. June went with Flag back to her apartment ages ago. I told her that I would be able to take Harley home, but I can't even get her to sit down for a second. She's not listening to Digger either. She's not speaking in coherent sentences, but she keeps mumbling 'Puddin.' I didn't know what that meant until I saw her cell phone. She was trying to call you but couldn't push the button since she's so inebriated. Then she got frustrated and started running around again."

The woman was calm but she sounded so defeated. He could only imagine how long they had been at the club trying to get her to go home. Pulling his phone away from his cheek for a moment, he saw the time 3:23 glaring back at him. Had he really been talking to Frost about her for 3 hours?

He replaced the phone to his ear. "So you want me to come down and get her?"

"Can you? I don't know what else to do other than clonk her on the head with a heavy object. I figured calling you was the better option."

Before she had even asked, he was already walking towards the couch and grabbing his keys and jacket. He had two beer and was still way under the legal limit, he could drive. "Text me the address."

There was a sigh of relief on the other side. "Thank you."

He hung up and nodded his head to Frost. "I'll see you later."

"Damsel in distress?" the man joked.

Joker let out a scoff. "Please, like Harley could ever be the damsel. Seems like her friends are the ones that need saving from her." He walked towards the door of the room then turned back around on an after thought. "And don't tell Flag about our talk, yeah?"

Frost just continued to lean on the counter. "I figured. Just remember what I said, brother."

An noncommittal hum was his only reply before he took off towards his bike.


Saying that the club was packed would be an understatement, it was positively infested with young adults lining up to get into the building. It was already bad enough he had to park his bike on the grass since there were no parking places left, and now he had to wait in a damn line. His eyes narrowed at the multitudes of people. There had to be another way in and if he didn't find a legal one, he was close to shoving his way in.

His saving grace came when his eyes flitted to the front of the line and saw the familiar bouncer sporting a fresh tattoo on his forearm. Just his luck.

Making his way to the front of the line, he avoided the flirtatious glaces of the women and the glares of the men. "Incubus," he called over the music that was filtering through the open doors.

Hearing his name, the six foot beefy bouncer turned his head and cracked a small smirk which was as welcoming as the man's face ever got. Normally, he was stern faced perfect for his night job. "J. How you been? Didn't know you came out to these types of places."

Incubus was a regular in the shop with many of the pieces that decorated his body being of Joker's design. Just last week Joker had inked the tribal tattoo that was crawling out of his short sleeved T-shirt. "I don't. Well at least not to dance."

They shared a smirk. Yeah, he had been around the club scenes lots of times, but it was mostly to take advantage of the women who came flocking.

"So time to find a lady it is then?"

"Actually to find a particular lady."

At that, Incubus' eye brow shot up. "You don't say. Knew your appearance wasn't a coincidence considering that blonde from your shop came by today too."

"Harley. That would be her. Heard she's gone off the rails since she got here."

For a moment, Incubus looked uncomfortable with his eyes glancing back into the club behind him. "I wouldn't say she's been a problem...At least not by any man's standards."

Joker's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"Management hasn't removed her since she's the one keeping the action going in there. Girl is quite a dancer."

"I am aware," Joker gritted out. Her provocative dance moves still stuck to his mind since the first time they met. He wasn't a jealous man, territorial yes, but never jealous. Though that woman in there was not his, and as such there was no way to be territorial over something that wasn't yours. It didn't change the fact that he didn't want someone trying to claim Harley.

Seeing the murderous intent in his eyes, Incubus spoke cautiously. "If I had known she was with you, I would have gotten her off the stage myself. The woman is attractive enough to turn even my sister off guys for life."

Stage? She was on the stage? "Let me inside, Incubus," his voice was deep and commanding.

Without even thinking about it, Incubus' hand went onto the latch of the velvet rope that kept the crowds out. "I'll let you in, J. Just be forewarned, I don't want to be cleaning up dead bodies or calling the police on your ass."

He pulled the latch free and pulled the rope away from the door path. There was chorus of "boos" and swears from others in line as Joker walked past Incubus with a tilt of his head in thanks. He couldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be blood shed if what he was about to see was worse than his own imagination. And right now, his mind was coming up with some very interesting scenarios with one basically being a very public orgy. If any of them laid one hand on his girl, and there would be hell to pay.

The music inside was pulsating and the bass could be felt on every surface, but Joker paid it no mind as he walked past the coat check and towards the bar. As his eyes scanned the room, it didn't take him long to see the blonde woman. Perhaps there would be blood shed after all since her scantily clad body was currently grinding on another gold suited dancer on the stage as several men and women watched her from the floor.

He didn't care that she was dancing in such a way or that others were even watching her. After all, the smile that was on her face was intoxicating. What bothered him was that there wasn't one characteristic about her that would give the others any reason to think that she was attached to another. There wasn't a hickie on her neck or a bite mark on her thigh to let people know that she was his. When his eyes flicked to his tattoo that was exposed by her low cut dress, he let out a small sound of approval. At least that was one thing that would forever mark her skin. As Joker stood completely transfixed by Harley's pale skin that glowed under the spot light, he didn't notice the smaller Asian woman that came bolting towards him until she almost crashed into him.

"Joker!" Tatsu yelled over the speakers. He had to tear his eyes away from Harley, who had yet to notice his presence, in order to look at Tatsu and a bulky man who stood like a brick wall behind her. "You got here fast."

All he did was nod instead of telling her that he went a considerable amount over speed limit in order to make it there in under ten minutes. His eyes caught the cautious look that the bearded man behind Tatsu had in his eyes when he looked at Harley dancing behind them. When the bearded man's eyes caught his, he gave him a glare as if to ask what he wanted and, in his bad mood, Joker was about to snarl at him if Tatsu hadn't continued talking. "George," she addressed the man, "This is Joker. Harley's...friend. Joker, this is George, my husband."

That statement calmed down the sudden possessive monster that had come to life in him. The way that George had gazed at Harley with worry made him think that perhaps he was more than a friend. He had definitely seen the man in a couple of Harley's pictures, but then again, Harley never mentioned having a boyfriend, and it wasn't like he asked. Joker always avoided the conversation of relationships with Harley regardless of how close they had gotten. There was something about the topic that made him feel guilty for whatever reason.

Joker stuck out his hand to the man who extended his own and shook his hand with a heavy grip that Joker returned. "Good to met you." He was slightly distracted since there was loud holler behind them when Harley had swung around the chain that was hanging from the roof.

"Call me Digger. I've heard of you before. The tattoo artist," George smirked an ass-eating grin, "You sure your just a friend, mate?"

His green eyebrow rose, but he gave no reply as he pocketed his hand. Guess news traveled quickly in a group as tight as Harley's.

"Enough of that, George," Tatsu scowled knowing her husband was trying to make the other man feel awkward. By the way that Joker was acting, it didn't seem to be working. "Can you please get her down from there? She suddenly called this morning and nearly dragged us out today. Something felt off but she said that she was just stressed from work."

They all looked over to Harley who was still laughing and dancing. He had missed her smile since he had seen it yesterday. "Wait, she called this morning? You didn't have plans before?"

"No, not this week."

She did lie to him. His gut said so yesterday, but he had let it slide since he wanted her to understand the limits of their friendship. The more he looked at her now, they more he realized just how messed up of an idea that was. He had tried to set up boundaries since the first day he had seen her in Flag's apartment eating her pudding on the couch, and this situation they were in right now was like a neon sign saying that clearly it hadn't worked.

Joker didn't know what he wanted from Harley, but it sure as hell wasn't this. He didn't want to wait on the side lines while others tried to paw at her. He messed up bad yesterday, but he was determined now to fix it and make it clear to Harley exactly how the situation was.

Without hesitation, Joker stepped forward and pushed his way through the crowd making his way to the stage. Once he was at the foot of the stage he looked up at Harley's form and stood there with his arms folded until she felt his presence. He knew he had caught her attention when her eyes glazed over him for a second before she took a second look, her eyes widening.

She halted mid-step and stopped, her whole expression sobering up. Joker raised his eyebrow silently asking her to come to him, but Harley visibly shook her head before she turned her back to him and began walking to the other side of the stage.

Not taking no for an answer, Joker jumped onto the stage and with a couple quick steps caught up to her teetering form. How she was able to do a coordinated dance but barely walk was beyond him. He hooked his arm under her leg and caught her princess style.

"Puddin'! Let me down! What are you even doing here?!" The words sounded jumbled but her shriek was so loud that it alerted most of the patrons and some of the bouncers who all turned to them.

Looking around, Joker saw that the only thing stopping the guards from trying to tackle him was Incubus who held up a hand to them letting them know that everything was okay. Glancing at the rest of the people who were booing at him, he snarled. "What are you looking at?" he grumbled to those within vicinity as he ignored Harley's pounding at his chest. He heaved her form over his shoulder as he jumped down from the stage.

When it didn't stop Harley from pounding at his back, he gave a smack to her bottom. "Hey!"

"If you don't behave, Harls, there'll be more where that came from." He wasn't amused by the situation at all and practically had steam coming from his ears at having to take care of a perpetual child.

There was loud cackle that came from the blonde woman. "I'm sure you would love that." Joker had to bit his lip from cracking a smile. "Sorry everyone, Mr. J wants me all to himself tonight!" she yelled out to the other dancers as Joker took her further away from the dance floor and closer to Tatsu and Digger.

"Well I thought you would talk her down," Tatsu said to Joker when he was close enough to hear her, "But this works too."

"Tatsu! Tell him to let me down!" Harley pouted.

Walking around Joker and looking at Harley's flushed face, Tatsu flicked her friend's nose with her finger and huffed at her. "I'm sorry, girl, but we all know you are going to run away again like when Digger tried to carry you out before."

"You nearly broke my arm trying to get away, mate," Digger spoke up.

Crossing her arms, Harley glared at both of them. "That's what y'all get for trying to manhandle me."

"And him carrying you is any better?" Digger asked.

"Not really, but his grip is too tight and besides the view isn't so bad from here." Joker could feel Harley pat his butt. "Always so firm, Mr. J."

"I'm going to take her home," Joker said with a deep voice, shaking his head. There was a burning fire coursing through him that he couldn't place, but now that Harley was in his arms, it calmed a little bit. Though it still simmered making his mood rather sour. Who was he kidding, it had been sour since yesterday night. He walked away from the two friends with a short nod of his head as goodbye.

"Traitors! The both of you!" Harley yelled at her friends who both waved.

Walking through the front door, Joker saw that Incubus was back at the front lines.

"Nice to see you got your girl," he said amused. It looked comical to see a full grown man with a sulking woman thrown over his shoulder like a bag of flour.

"I'll see you in a couple weeks for your touch up," Joker replied, not really stopping to chat as he continued his track to his bike.

As he strode, he noticed that Harley had become unusually quiet. He had expected her initial exclamations but thought she would try to kick and punt him once he got her outside. He got to his bike, the sound of the club fading away leaving the hum of traffic being the only sound heard. Placing her down on the seat of his bike, he didn't know what to expect from her, but a pissed off Harley with her arms crossed and eyes blazing was not really it.

To finish the image, she crossed her legs and looked up at him in annoyance. "What are you doing here, Puddin'?"

Of course she had the right to be pissed since he did mess up royally, but it didn't help his mood. "I got a call that said I should come and pick you up."

"And why would you come? I thought you would be busy today. Don't you have ladies to call and bang like you do?" Her tone was spiteful and something she couldn't help. Over the last day, the sadness that she felt began to simmer into anger. Anger at not necessarily him, but at everything and everyone.

"What are you talking about? I'm here dragging your drunk self off of stages where everyone was ogling your ass." He gritted his teeth. He knew her anger all came back to the numbers she had seen yesterday, but if she would just let him get to that point, he would clear it all up.

"I'm not drunk! At least not anymore...and they can ogle all they want. It's not like it belongs to anyone." She stuck out her lips in a pout. "You made it pretty clear that you would rather tap some other ass, so you have no say in the matter, friend."

The emphasis on the word made his eyebrow tick. He always knew she was stubborn, but when she was mad she got even more bold. And it was not missed by him when his cock jumped from how sexy she looked mad. "You were the one who first mentioned being friends, toots."

"And you agreed." She stuck a finger to his chest. "So don't make it seem like it was all my fault. So go back to your ladies, and let me go back to dancing." She made to hop off the bike seat, but was stopped when Joker placed a hand on either side of her seated body.

"You're not going any where until you let me explain." Joker knew that his final attempt to keep her away from him had completely backfired. This friendship attempt was never going to work with the amount of chemistry that was flowing between them. Even now, he could feel the heat emanating from her body and tempting him.

"No!" Harley said stiffly, "You don't get to explain. I understand perfectly well exactly what you mean when you have some woman's number on you hand."

"How do you know it was a woman's number?" Joker asked. He knew it was pretty obvious from the bubbly writing that it was written in, but what else was he suppose to say. Call it stubborness but no one wanted to lose an argument. When Harley gave rose her eyebrow at him, he almost rolled his eyes. "Okay it was a woman's number, but-"

Harley inched forward until her face was within a couple inches of his. "But what?" she almost spat out.

With her eyes narrowed and blazing, and her lips within reach, arguing was the last thing on his mind. In a moment of weakness he let his eyes linger from her eyes to her lips and when he looked back up at her eyes, he saw a flash of desire run through her before she covered it up. They continued to stare at each other until Harley's tongue snuck out to wet her lips.

No one knew who moved first, but by the time he realized what was happening, Joker had melded his lips on hers.